There was considerable astonishment evoked at the new Police regulations concerning passports or vather "residential permits" which all Russians, refugee or Soviet citizen ig compelled to take out at the Police Administration every year. The last police order states that in future a certain size of photo with both Chinese and Russian names on, rust be in future used on all passport. So far so good, but the an-ouncement also officially recommends a certain photographer giving the name of the studio and its address, with a rider that all other photographers' work may be rejected. Now this studio happens to be owned by a White Russian who is employed ju-one of the local Govern. ment offices here, whilst the prices! charged there are much higher than else where. Russian photographers did not dare to protest or petition against this monopoly, but the Japanese photographers about a dozen in all sent a petition to the Japanese Consul-General explaining their situation in connection with the said Police regulations and showing that they-would lose one of their regular earnings if one man is given the monopoly. The Chinese photographers likewise rose in arms. Te may be mentioned that all the Russian papers were more or less forced to publish these new regula~ tions, hence all Russians soon were siequatinted- With snures Ti the end the Police Administration has had to issue a revised edition of the regulation in which the monopolist's name is not mentioned and where it is now indicated that persons may have their photograph taken where they like as long as the photo submitted conforms with the regulation.
This is only one gf the examples of how Russians living in the Special area, and there are nearly' 100,000 of them, are being "mulcted" in one way and another, whenever a good opportunity offers itself, by underpaid but various government em-ake hay as And in 'S most eases the Russians must remain quiet and grin and bear.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.